we will destroy you...

""

Life is Happy and Sad reviews

Life is Happy & Sad: A Roller Coaster of Artistic Anguish from The Catastrophic Theater

You need to go see this play. Anybody who takes the time to invest a bit of themselves digging into the arts scene in Houston knows that there is a veritable treasure trove of secret gems waiting to be found - often right in front of our faces. Life Is Happy & Sad is definitely one of those secret gems ... Houstonist found ourselves exhaling deeply ... heart beating fast in our chest, satisfied and exhilarated and convinced that we had stumbled across greatness upon this small parcel of the Houston artistic landscape.


December 10, 2009

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Capsule Stage Reviews: A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, Margo Veil: An Entertainment, Life Is Happy and Sad

The emotional power of Life Is Happy and Sad lies in its disarming sincerity ... The sweet truthfulness of the central character - Daniel Johnston is played here by a very compelling Matthew Brownlie - does not keep Nodler's production from being highly experimental ...  The powerful music is the best reason to see this show, and it's stunning to watch Brownlie change from a shy, lonely, bumbling guy trying to make songs on a practice piano into a super-sexy rock star in complete command of the stage with his band. The two sides of the character demonstrate with moving clarity that life is indeed happy and sad. 


December 10, 2009

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Happy and Sad serves up a slice of life

Brownlie, the former frontman for Bring Back the Guns and making his acting debut, proves ideal as the young Johnston. The neediness and sensitivity, bouts of wild enthusiasm, panics of self-doubt — all spring naturally from his portrayal. It's a case of being, rather than acting the role.

 


December 9, 2009

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Catastrophic Theatre's Life is Happy and Sad is Loving Tribute to Daniel Johnston and the Struggling Artist in All of Us

We witness the ins and outs, the humor, the brilliance, and all of the peculiarities of the manic depressive personality of Daniel Johnston. This proves to be a brilliant character study, amazingly and memorably realized by Matt Brownlie, a wonderful musician in his own right, but here working out another day in the life of the songs and struggles of Daniel Johnston...all in all, Life is Happy and Sad is a powerful peek into the life of Daniel Johnston's journey as the musician's cult hero. And the play deeply touches all of us who have ever struggled to be heard and appreciated as artists and musicians.


December 8, 2009

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